Product Review: Laowa 10mm f/2.8 lens for Z-mount
Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF (14 Blades Manual Focus) for Nikon Z Mount
In November-2025, I was preparing and planning for my mid-December Geminids meteor shower photo trip to Arizona. This was to be my first time to shoot a meteor shower.
As part of that, I was looking for a widest wide angled lens (wider than my 14-24mm f/2.8m) that was NOT a fish eye lens, so I started asking around. Ultimately, a photo buddy, Matt Hill, recommended I look at the Laowa 10mm lens.
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After reading some reviews and wanting a wider lens, I bought the lens. Thankfully, it arrived a few days before my trip.
I had two camera set-ups running for the Geminids. One with my 14-24mm lens on my Nikon Z8. And a second camera set-up with a rented Nikon Z8 (via Photo Rental Source in Houston) and my new Laowa 10mm lens.
Click here to out my other blog post about my prep for that trip, if you want to read more about the whole trip prep.
I processed my photos to make a star trails blend, but I’m still working on pulling the meteors together to get that photo. Time is the one thing we can all use more of!
Back to the 10mm lens…
The Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF is one of the widest full-frame rectilinear lenses available for the Nikon Z cameras —and that alone makes it intriguing. At 10mm, you’re firmly in ultra-wide territory, yet Laowa’s “Zero-D” (zero distortion) design aims to keep straight lines straight, making it especially attractive for architecture, interiors, and dramatic landscape work. Built with a solid all-metal barrel and a manual focus design, this lens feels purpose-built for deliberate photographers who value precision over automation.
Key Specs
- Focal length: 10mm
- Viewing angle: 130.4 degrees
- (Manual) Aperture range: f/2.8 – 22 (15 blades)
- Shooting distance: 4.72in (12cm) to infinity
- Weight: 0.93lbs (420g)
- Mount: Z-mount for Nikon
- Full frame (FF)
- Zero distortion
- Manual focus, internal focusing
- Filter size: 77mm
- Water & dust resistant
- USB-C port for firmware upgrades
- (Feb-2026) Price range: ~ $799 USD (plus tax), per Amazon
Laowa makes two different versions of this lens:
- Autofocus version with a 5-blade aperture (ca. $664 USD)
- Manual version with a 14-blade aperture (ca. $799 USD)
On the basis of having a smoother aperture window using 14-blades, I went for the manual focus lens.
The Review
- I wanted a full frame ultra-wide-angle without distortion (no fish eye) and this lens delivered.
- With a hyper focal distance being so close to the lens, it was easy to manually focus the lens, especially when using the Nikon Z8 focus peaking function.
- Since the lens is manual (both focus and aperture setting), there are no contacts on the lens to share data with the camera.
- Why Laowa bothers with both an autofocus 5-blade and manual-focus 14-blade version of this lens is not clear to me. I’d say take the best of both worlds and make the autofocus 14-blade, but I presume they know their market and pricing strategy better than I do.
- Photo quality was good. Content was sharp and I didn’t notice any softness in the corners.
- This lens will definitely be one to put in the camera bag for my night photography: star trails and Milky Way shots.
- This lens is slightly larger than my hand when made into a fist. It’s a great little lens that just works.
- Good value and price for what it offers.
Overall
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (4.5 of 5)
Overall, if you’re looking to add a dramatic, distortion-controlled ultra-wide tool to your Nikon Z kit (and you don’t mind manual focus & manual aperture ring) the Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF is a compelling, creatively liberating lens that rewards thoughtful composition and careful technique.
I am quite happy with the photos from this lens. I gave 4.5 of 5 stars because of the manual focus and manual aperture ring. An autofocus version with 14-blades would be a 5 star – perhaps the 5-blade version already hits the mark, but I didn’t buy that version.
Check it out, here’s a link to it on Amazon. (Feature image courtesy of Amazon).
Enjoy Life and thanks for reading,
Jeff
